Voraussetzungen:
18-28 years oldEnglish necessary, basic knowlege in Kannada is a plusinterest in working with women

Projektbeschreibung:

The Project:

In the year 2001 a small community of Franciscan Sisters from India has made a survey of the Gokarna area through constant home visits and dialogues with the local panchayats (villagescommittees). Through this the village families have expressed their needs: 85% of the people are agricultural workers, working for others for very small wages. Out of them 90% dependonly on dry cultivation, which purely depends on monsoons. Unemployment is huge and all in all 75% live under the poverty line. They are without the basic human facilities such as properhousing, clothing, food and clean drinking water.

The women in these villages are in the greatest need of better circumstances. They have no contact with people outside the village andthey have no understanding of their situation and rights. Many of them suffer from a bad health condition and lack of knowledge in basic matters.

During 6 years between 2001 and 2007 a Spanish NGO has suppored the Gokarna community by undertaking the following actions:

• improve health and educational situation in Gokarna and surrounding area: medical camps and check-up of pregnant women• formation of women groups, childrens' groups and SHGs to improve socio-economical conditions• educating social workers in the villages• financial assistance for children of underprivileged families for educational purposes

Now funds ended and the NGO tries together with the sisters to fulfil the goals of the project. The main focus at the moment are the following actions:

• tailoring course by the sisters• selling of the manufactured products and marketing in the local area as well as in Europe• increase the production in order to realise the above mentiones aims (improvement of socio-economical conditions: tuition for children, women-empowerment, health assistance)

Aims for the future will be to set up the production and selling of the products properly in orderto be able to give proper educational and medical support for women and children in the area.

The work:

• The main task in the first phase of his work will be the following• Assist the tailoring workshop• Follow and guide the production• check the quality• give and try new ideas of products to be manufactured• follow the on-costs, the accounts.• Help in setting up an efficient shop in Gokarna• Develop concepts of advertisement and marketing of products in India as well as Europe and identify markets.• Look for suppliers of tailoring materials• Give English courses• Assist in urgent medical cases (raise funds, accompany to hospitals and Doctors)

In the future the volunteer will assist to develop the project, meet the needs of thecommunity and assist in the identification of further aims and strategies to reach these.This will happen according to the resources available.